Nivia Sports
Nivia Sports is an Indian sporting-goods brand and manufacturer best known for footballs, basketballs, sports footwear, apparel, and equipment supplied to Indian leagues and sporting organizations.
Last updated November 4, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Nivia Sports is an Indian sporting-goods brand operated by Freewill Sports Pvt Ltd. Its origins date to 1934, when Nihal Chand Kharabanda established the business in Sialkot, then part of British India. Following the partition of the Indian subcontinent, the company moved its operations first to Mumbai, then to Meerut, and eventually to Jalandhar, Punjab, where it is headquartered. The company’s history is closely associated with the Kharabanda family and with the development of locally manufactured sports equipment in India. The name Nivia is generally described as a combination of the names of Nihal Chand Kharabanda and his son Vijay Kharabanda. The “Ni” refers to Nihal, while “Vi” refers to Vijay. Vijay joined the family business in 1960 and helped formalize the Nivia brand, which was registered in 1962. During his period of involvement, the company expanded its ball manufacturing capabilities, introduced football-valve innovations, obtained recognition for its football products, and developed sports footwear. Nivia’s low-cut shoe with a plastic sole became an early example of the brand’s effort to adapt athletic footwear for the Indian market. Nivia began producing hand-stitched leather footballs, basketballs, and volleyballs during the 1950s. It also exported sports balls, with an early shipment sent to Indonesia. The company’s football products were subsequently used in Indian competitions and received institutional recognition, including approval associated with the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. Nivia balls were selected for domestic and international tournaments, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Gold Cup and South Asian Federation Games. Volleyball was another early area of prominence: a Nivia ball was selected for the 1963 Pre-Olympic Volleyball Championship in New Delhi. The company later broadened its portfolio beyond balls. Its products now cover football, futsal, basketball, volleyball, handball, cricket, running, fitness, badminton, tennis, kabaddi, wrestling, skating, swimming, and general training. The range includes match and training balls, football boots, athletic shoes, jerseys, tracksuits, shorts, socks, bags, gloves, shin guards, nets, pumps, rackets, shuttlecocks, skateboarding equipment, swimming accessories, and other sporting accessories. Nivia continues to combine factory processes with manual production, particularly in the manufacture of certain sports balls. Rajesh Kharabanda, the third generation of the family, joined the business in 1991 and became managing director in 2005. Under his leadership, Nivia pursued greater institutional recognition for its products. Its basketball products obtained certification from the International Basketball Federation, and the company became an official ball partner of the Basketball Federation of India for competitions using BFI and FIBA-backed formats. Nivia has also supplied or sponsored equipment for football federations, clubs, leagues, and national competitions across South Asia. Football remains the brand’s most visible category. Nivia has supplied official or partner balls for the Indian Super League, the I-League ecosystem, the Durand Cup, the Super Cup, the All India Football Federation, and other domestic and regional competitions. Its football models have included Ashtang, Astra, and Shastra 2.0. The company has also supplied apparel and equipment to clubs such as Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Chennaiyin FC, Jamshedpur FC, Delhi FC, and other teams at different times. In basketball, the Top Gear 3.0 model has been associated with FIBA certification and official competition use. Nivia’s business is positioned around domestically produced, competition-oriented sports equipment with broad coverage across team sports. Its institutional partnerships give it visibility beyond direct retail sales, while its extensive product range allows it to serve schools, academies, amateur players, professional clubs, federations, and recreational consumers. The available reference material does not establish a separate publicly listed parent, audited financial profile, or current international corporate ownership structure. In 2024, Nivia entered a five-year memorandum of understanding with the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association to provide sportswear and footballs, illustrating its continuing focus on grassroots and organized football in India.
History
Nivia Sports traces its history to Freewill Sports Pvt Ltd, founded by Nihal Chand Kharabanda in Sialkot in 1934. The company was created around the manufacture and supply of sports equipment. After the partition of British India, the business relocated to India, moving from Sialkot to Mumbai, then to Meerut, before establishing itself in Jalandhar, Punjab, in 1950. The move to Jalandhar placed the company in one of northern India’s important sporting-goods manufacturing centers. Nihal Chand Kharabanda had a background in political science and developed his practical knowledge of sports equipment through work associated with the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. This experience informed the company’s effort to design products for Indian sporting requirements. During the 1950s, Freewill began producing hand-stitched leather footballs, basketballs, and volleyballs. An early international export shipment consisted of balls sent to Indonesia. Nihal’s son Vijay Kharabanda joined the business in 1960. The Nivia brand was registered in 1962, with its name commonly explained as a combination of “Nihal” and “Vijay.” Vijay expanded the company’s technical and commercial activities. He is associated with the introduction of football nozzles to the company’s manufacturing work, the pursuit of football approvals, and the launch of the NIVIA Low Cut shoe with a plastic sole. The company continued to develop hand-stitched sports balls and gained recognition in domestic sporting institutions. Nivia’s football became associated with the National Institute of Sports and was used in National Football Championship and All India Football Federation contexts. In the 1960s, its volleyball was selected for the Pre-Olympic Volleyball Championship held in New Delhi. During the 1980s, Nivia balls were selected for the Jawaharlal Nehru Gold Cup and South Asian Federation Games. The company also began expanding its footwear manufacturing during this period, eventually producing shoes for football, cricket, basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, kabaddi, wrestling, and track and field. Rajesh Kharabanda, Vijay’s son, joined the company in 1991 and became managing director in 2005. His period of leadership focused on building certifications, institutional relationships, and organized-sport partnerships. Nivia obtained recognition for basketball products from the International Basketball Federation and later became associated with the Basketball Federation of India as an official ball partner. The company also developed relationships with football federations, clubs, leagues, and tournaments across India and neighboring South Asian markets. Nivia’s football portfolio evolved through named match-ball models. Astra was introduced as the Indian Super League match ball for the 2021–22 season and featured a polyurethane microfiber cover and an eight-panel construction. Ashtang and Shastra 2.0 were subsequently associated with Indian league competition. In 2024, the Indian Super League announced a three-year partnership under which Nivia would supply official match balls. The brand also expanded its role in team apparel and equipment. It has supplied kits to clubs including Chennaiyin FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Jamshedpur FC, Delhi FC, and other Indian teams at different points. In 2022, Nivia and Chennaiyin FC presented a fan-designed kit collection for the 2022–23 season. Nivia has supported competitions and organizations in football, basketball, handball, and other sports, while also maintaining a consumer range sold through retail and sports channels. The company’s manufacturing identity remains important to its brand narrative. Accounts of its Jalandhar operations describe a mixture of mechanized preparation and manual stitching, especially for basketballs and other balls. Nivia has also been connected with efforts to maintain football-stitching employment through remote work arrangements after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, its memorandum with the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association extended its institutional and grassroots reach. The available material indicates that Nivia remains an active Indian sports-equipment business, but does not provide sufficient information to determine its current legal ownership beyond its association with Freewill Sports Pvt Ltd, its complete financial profile, or a definitive current executive roster.
- 2024
Indian Super League partnership is renewed
[1]The league announces a three-year official-ball partnership with Nivia, including supply of the Shastra 2.0 model.
- 2024
Memorandum signed with Arunachal Pradesh Football Association
[1]Nivia signs a five-year memorandum to provide sportswear and footballs to the association.
- 2022
Fan-designed Chennaiyin FC kits launch
[1]Nivia, Chennaiyin FC, and club stakeholders launch home, away, and third kits developed through a supporter design contest.
- 2021
Basketball partnership with BFI
[1]Nivia becomes official ball partner for Basketball Federation of India competitions, including junior and national-level matches.
- 2021
Astra becomes an Indian Super League match ball
[1]Nivia introduces Astra for the 2021–22 Indian Super League season, replacing the Ashtang model for that season.
- 2015
Nivia becomes BRICS Football Cup ball partner
[1]Nivia signs a partnership connected with the BRICS Football Cup and secures further recognition for its footballs.
- 2005
Rajesh Kharabanda becomes managing director
[1]Rajesh Kharabanda assumes the managing director role and leads expansion of certifications and institutional partnerships.
- 1991
Rajesh Kharabanda joins the company
[1]The third generation of the Kharabanda family enters the business.
- 1980
Expansion into sports footwear
[1]Nivia begins manufacturing sports footwear in India and later extends the range across multiple sports.
- 1963
Nivia volleyball selected for a Pre-Olympic championship
[1]A Nivia volleyball is selected as the official ball for the Pre-Olympic Volleyball Championship in New Delhi.
Products and positioning
An Indian, competition-focused sporting-goods brand emphasizing accessible equipment, domestic manufacturing capability, broad team-sports coverage, and partnerships with leagues, federations, clubs, and grassroots programs.
Football equipment
Football and futsal products
Football is Nivia’s most prominent category. The company produces hand-stitched and competition-oriented footballs, including the Ashtang, Astra, and Shastra 2.0 models. Its wider football range includes boots, goalkeeper gloves, uniforms, nets, shin guards, pumps, and training equipment. Nivia balls have been associated with the Indian Super League, the All India Football Federation, domestic Indian competitions, and regional football partnerships.
Basketball
Top Gear 3.0
Top Gear 3.0 is a Nivia basketball model associated with International Basketball Federation certification. Nivia’s basketballs are produced through a combination of mechanical shaping and manual stitching, painting, and finishing. The company has supplied basketballs for Basketball Federation of India competitions and other organized formats.
Football · 2021
Astra
Astra was presented as the Indian Super League’s match ball for the 2021–22 season. Its stated construction used polyurethane microfiber leather and an eight-panel structure intended to reduce seam length. It replaced the Ashtang model for that season.
Football
Ashtang
Ashtang is one of Nivia’s named football models and has been used in Indian league contexts. Reference material identifies it as an official ball associated with the I-League and as part of Nivia’s continuing match-ball portfolio.
Football · 2024
Shastra 2.0
Shastra 2.0 is a Nivia football selected for use as an official Indian Super League ball beginning with the 2024 season. The model represents the brand’s focus on supplying purpose-built match equipment to professional football competitions.
Athletic footwear · 1980
Sports footwear
Nivia manufactures footwear for football, cricket, basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, kabaddi, wrestling, running, and track and field. Named football-boot lines in reference material include Aviator, Brasil, Crane, Dominator, Ditmar, Destroyer, England, Encounter, Germany, Invader, Oslar, Premier, Spain, Tough, and Ultra, along with variants such as Oslar Blade and Premier Cleats.
Sports apparel and accessories
Team apparel and accessories
The apparel and accessories portfolio includes jerseys, shorts, lower garments, tracksuits, socks, windcheaters, bags, gloves, shin guards, pumps, and training products. Nivia has supplied teamwear to clubs and leagues, including football and basketball organizations, and produces apparel in materials such as microfiber polyester.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025Future Handball Champions Program
India
Nivia partnered with the Women’s Handball League on a program intended to identify and nurture young female handball talent.
Outcome. The initiative was scheduled to begin in January 2025; longer-term outcomes are not established in the supplied material.
- 2022Chennaiyin FC fan-designed kit contest
India
Nivia worked with Chennaiyin FC and club stakeholders on a supporter-led design contest for the club’s 2022–23 home, away, and third kits.
Outcome. The three-kit collection was launched for the 2022–23 season.
Brand decisions
2024
Expand institutional football partnerships in IndiaStrategyBackground
Nivia continued to pursue league and association relationships that place its balls and apparel in organized football.
Action taken
The company entered a five-year memorandum with the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association to provide sportswear and footballs.
Aftermath
The agreement extended Nivia’s association-level and grassroots reach; no financial terms are provided.
2022
Launch fan-designed Chennaiyin FC kitsProduct launchBackground
Nivia and Chennaiyin FC used a supporter contest to develop the club’s 2022–23 apparel designs.
Action taken
The partners released home, away, and third kits incorporating the contest’s fan-led design process.
Aftermath
The kits were used for the 2022–23 season.
2021
Introduce Astra as an Indian Super League match ballProduct launchBackground
Nivia updated its Indian Super League match-ball offering for the 2021–22 season.
Action taken
The company supplied Astra, an eight-panel football with a polyurethane microfiber-leather construction.
Aftermath
Astra replaced Ashtang for that season; the supplied material does not provide sales or performance figures.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/nivia-sports · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled